RobYes, new words in English. We’ll look at where they come from, why we need them and who uses them.

CatherineWe’ll have a quiz; and we’ll also bring you a top tip for learning vocabulary.

RobBut first, here’s Iris, talking about a photograph she took.

CatherineAnd here’s a question: is Iris happy with her photo?

INSERTIrisSo here’s a selfie from a flashmob I went to – there’s everyone dancing and stuff, and that’s my idiot boyfriend at the back: he decided to photobomb me! It’s quite funny though… I put it on my social networks – but the trolls said we looked stupid! I don’t care though, I like it.

STING

RobSo that’s Iris. And she said she liked the photo.

CatherineGood. Now there were a few words there which are quite new in English. Let’s have a look at some of them. Listen again to Iris. Two questions this time. One: what type of photo did she take and two: where was she?

INSERT 1 CLIP 1So this is a selfie from a flashmob I went to…

CatherineIris took a selfie, and she was at a flashmob. Let’s take those words one at a time.

RobYes, first of all, a very popular word now, selfie. That’s a photograph you take of yourself, by holding your camera or phone out in front of you at arm’s length.

CatherineYeah, selfie. Take many selfies Rob?

RobAbsolutely not, no.

CatherineNone at all?

RobDon’t want to look at myself, thank you.

CatherineBut where does the word selfie come from? Well the word self–portrait has been around for a long time. It means ‘a picture you draw or paint of yourself’. So selfie probably comes from that.

RobAnd that’s one way words come into English. Get an old word, change it to fit a new situation and you’ve got a new word like selfie. And that’s one reason why we need new words – to talk about new situations, like all these self-portraits that everyone’s taking.

CatherineYeah, good. Now another way to make a new word for a new situation is to get two old words and put them together. Iris was at a flashmob. Now, a flashmob is a crowd of people who gather together quickly and suddenly – it’s often organised through social media. Now the word flash can mean ‘something that happens very quickly’, and a mob is a crowd of people. So when you put them together, you’ve got the perfect new word for the situation. Ever been on a flashmob Rob?

RobI’m afraid not, no one’s invited me actually.

CatherineReally? I’ll invite you on the next one I go on.

RobThank you. Anyway, you’ve probably noticed that these words are mostly made by people on social media. It’s not the only place that new words come from, but a lot of new words are coming from social media at the moment.

CatherineNext example. Iris’s boyfriend jumped into her selfie at the last minute. He’s actually in the photo even though she wasn’t expecting him to be! And here’s the word for it:

RobSo: photobomb. That’s a new word made from two old words: photo, obviously, and bomb, the thing that suddenly explodes. And we’ve got similar new words like weatherbomb…

CatherineThat’s a sudden period of extreme weather, and then there’s thoughtbomb where people get together and, basically – think!

RobYes, that’s a new word for what we used to call ‘brainstorm’…?

CatherineIt is, yes. Very similar.

Good, right, OK. Well now, Iris used another new word to describe people who post horrible comments on social media. Listen carefully to this:

INSERT 1 CLIP 3I put it on my social networks – but the trolls said we looked stupid!

RobA person who posts negative comments on social media is called a troll. And troll is actually an old word for an imaginary creature – a kind of monster. You find lots of trolls in old Scandinavian stories – and the word’s been around in English for a long time.

CatherineSo an old word, with a new meaning – but there’s a link there to the original meaning isn’t there Rob?

RobYes that’s right, because both kinds of troll are quite ugly in their own way – either in their looks or behaviour.

IDENT6 Minute Vocabulary from BBC Learning English.

RobAnd we’re talking about new words. So Catherine, have you ever been trolled?

CatherineThankfully I haven’t Rob, I choose my friends very carefully on social media.

RobGood, good.

CatherineRight, it’s quiz time! Question one: what’s the word for a group of people who gather together suddenly, and it’s normally organised on social media?

CatherineWell done indeed. And now here’s a vocabulary tip. To keep your English right up-to-date, join some social media groups where people use English. Social media is a great place to pick up words and expressions that are in use, even though they’re not in the dictionary.

RobYes, and new words are being invented all the time aren’t they?

CatherineThey are, yes.

RobOK, well there’s more about this at bbclearningenglish.com. You can also find us on Twitter, Facebook and many other social networks but, don’t troll us please.

CatherineNo.

RobOK. Join us again soon for more 6 Minute Vocabulary.

Both
Bye

Vocabulary

flashmob (noun)

a crowd of people who gather together quickly and suddenly, often organised through social media

selfie (noun)

a photo that you teake of yourself, normally on a mobile phone

photobomb (verb/noun)

to suddenly put yourself into someone else’s photograph; the act of doing this

weatherbomb (noun)

a short period of extreme weather

thoughtbomb (noun)

a group session where people think together; brainstorm

troll (noun/verb)

person who behaves badly online – for example, someone who posts negative, insulting comments on social media; to do this